Waxing apparatus



Nov. 4, 1947. K. H. RECKER WAXING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 KENNETH HOVER RECKER Filed Jan. 31 1945 NOV. 4, 1947. RECKER 2,430,187

WAXING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 31, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 KENNETH HOVER RECKER Patented Nov. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,430,187 WAXING APPARATUS Kenneth Hover Recker, Winter Haven, Fla. Application January 31, 1945, Serial No. 575,527

8 Claims.

This invention is concerned with the provision of a waxing apparatus by means of which various kinds of produce may be waxed without the use of excessive moisture.

Since the first use of water emulsion wax on produce, such as the various kinds of fruits and vegetables, it has been realized that the normal methods of application, such as dipping, spraying, and drenching, had definite limitations. These methods have proven to be very unsatisfactory because of bulky equipment being required, and such methods cause a spread of wax over the equipment, and packers and graders are required to wear gloves which likewise have to be continually changed due to excessive wax accumulation thereon. Secondly, due-to excessive moisture drying actually occurs after the produce is placed in shipping containers, this causes spots of wax to appear on the produce which is unsightly and reflects on the price obtained for same; furthermore such methods do not permit mechanicalpolishing of the produce without first placing same in expensive driers. Therefore the primary object of this invention is to provide an apparatus whereby a wax emulsion with a low moisture content may be applied to the produce, allowing for a greater concentration of solids on the produce, and to provide means for feeding the emulsion in small quantities and the provision of a series of wipers which evenly coat the produce with a thin film of wax which quickly dries, thereby, permitting the produce to be packed in shipping containers dry or if desired polished without the use of extensive drying mechanism.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts, all in accordance with the disclosure herein.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 Figure 1.

The true nature and manner of use of an apparatus in accordance with this invention will be best understood by a detailed description of the form thereof shown in the drawings in an illustrative sense.

This apparatus includes a conventional transverse roller table A having side and end frame members 2 and 3 respectively, the transverse rollers 4 thereof having journal bearings in said side members, and being rotatable counter-clockwise thru means of sprockets 5, which are engaged with the rollers for rotation thereof, and sprocket chain 6 which conveys movement to the sprockets 5 from the prime mover B thru a driver sprocket mounted on a power shaft 1 for rotation thereof, said power shaft being driven by the prime mover B thru means of sprocket mechanism.

Likewise, transverse to said roller table A are a series of rag rollers Ill the journals of which are in bearing with bearings H which are mounted upon the upper edge of side members 2 and which are rotatable clockwise thru means of driven pulleys I2 engaged with said rollers for rotation thereof, idlers l4 and a belt l5 which is in engagement with the prime mover B thru a driven pulley mounted upon the power shaft 1 for rotation thereof.

For waxing efliciency it is desirable that the R. P. M. of the rag rollers be higher than that of the table rollers, as for example-1'00 R. P. M. for the table rollers to 200 R. P. M. for the rag rollers.

Supported by bracket members l6 above said rag rollers I0 is reservoir 11 adjacent which is an auxiliary tank I8 having a ball cock l9, the plane of said auxiliary tank being lower than the reservoir to provide for gravity flow from the reservoir to the auxiliary tank. In the use of this apparatus the reservoir is filled manually, or thru other suitable means, with a wax emulsion which flows therefrom by gravity to the auxiliary tank thru a valve controlled pipe line 20 to a level in the auxiliary tank, controlled by adjustment of the ball cock l9, thence the emulsion flows into an agitator vessel 22; set on an angle to the vertical plane of the auxiliary tank, which is oblong in cross section and the inner wall of which forms the outer wall of the auxiliary tank; thru an aperture 23. This waxing process calls for the agitation of the wax emulsion to create a foam which rises in the agitator vessel and overflows thru the downwardly projected neck portion 24 thereof and distributes along the angular toothed bottom edge 25 of said neck portion to provide an even gradual dropping of the wax rather than an uneven bulk drop. While agitation to this end may be accomplished within the vessel by mechanical means such as paddle or beater mechanism, or by emulsion fed under pressure to the emulsion in the vessel, my preferred means is by compressed air from a compressor C fed by hose or pipe connection 26 having a pressure relief valve 21 to a right angular pipe member 28 the lateral portion 29 of which rests on the bottogn absorbing any surplus wax.

sons? of the agitator vessel and has minute apertures 8| for air escape.

This arrangement of the pipe member "@1- lows for removal from-orreplacement to the skitator vessel thru the longitudinal slot 29", at the top of the vessel, which is essential for cleanin Purpose.

The operation of the apparatus is a continuous one. The produce is delivered over a chute board ll to the table rollers l and thence urged forward by said rollers for delivery over a chute board 32. During the first rag roller it droppings of wax from thereon, as the produce travels thru the path of said rag rollers these droppings are evenly is contacted with minute this travel, as the produce approaches.

livered to the table and also for advancing said the agitator vesseL'from spread over the produce by the rollers, said rollers It is quite obvious that aside from wiping the produce, the rag rollers also aid in urging the produce forward.

From the above description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the details of construction illustrated herein may readily be varied without departure from the novel subject matter herein disclosed. I do not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited by the disclosure but rather by the claims granted me.

What is claimed is: r

1. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a table, advancing means for objects delivered to the table, a waxing emulsion supply means adjacent to the table, said means including agitating means for foaming the emulsion, rotatable means supported by the table for wiping each object in the path thereof advanced by the first named means, and means for operating the advancing means.

2. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a table, rotating means for advancing objects delivered to the table, a waxing emulsion supply means adjacent to the table, said means including agitating means for foaming the emulsion, rotatable means supported by the table for wiping each-object delivered to the said table, means for feeding foamed emulsion from the supply means to the advancing objects, and means for driving both the advancing means and wiping means reversely to each other.

3. An apparatus. of the kind described, comprising a table, means for advancing objects delivered to the table, a waxing emulsion. supply means adjacent to the table, said means including agitating means forfoaming the emulsion, rotatable means-"supported bythe table -above the first named means forwiping each object delivered to the said table, means for uniformly feeding foamed emulsion from the supply means to the advancing objects, and means for driving the advancing means.

4. An apparatus of the prising a table, means for rotating objects dekind described, comobjects, a waxing emulsion supply means above the first named means, said means including agitating means for foaming the emulsion, rotatable means supported by the table for wiping each object delivered to the said table, and means for feeding foamed emulsion from the supply means to the advancing objects.

5. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a table, means for rotating objects delivered to the table and also advancing said objects, a waxing emulsion supply means above the first named means, said means including agitating means for foaming the emulsion, rotatable means supported by the table adjacent to the first named means for wiping each object, means for feeding foamed emulsion from the supply means to the advancing objects, means for driving the advancing means and wiping means reversely to each other, and means for controlling the supply means.

6." An apparatus of the kind described, comprising means for rotating and advancing objects, a waxing emulsion supply means above first named means, said means including agitating means for foaming the emulsion, rotatable means in' the path of the advancing objects for wiping the same, .and means for rotating both advancing means and wiping means reversely to each other and also for driving the wiping means at a greater speed than the advancing means.

'7. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising means for rotating and advancing objects, rotatable means in the path of the advancing objects for wipingthe same, means for rotating both the first and second named means reversely to each other, and means for supplying a wax emulsion foam to the advancing objects."

8. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising means for rotating and advancing objects, rotatable means in the path of the advancing' objects for wiping the same, means for rotating both the first and second named means, means for supplying waxing emulsion foam to the advancing objects, means for delivering objects to the first named means, and means for controlling the supply means.

KENNETH HOVER RECKEB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the UNITED STATES PATENTS Number, Name Date 1,651,350 Jamieson Nov. 29, 1927 1,94 0369 Pierce Dec. 19, 1933 1,970,861 MacRill et al Aug. 21, 1934 1,985,843 Skinner Dec. 25, 1934 2,412,686 4 Kalmar Dec. 1'7, 1946 

